(Close up on Nick, in a slow motion gesture, as he watches Gabrielle walk away with Madness. Slow motion ends and he cries out)
Nick: MADNESS! I can't let you take her, I don't care what she thinks she owes you!
Madness: (stops and turns to face Nick with an evil grin) Yeah and what do you plan on doing about it?
Nick: (determined) We'll duel for her!
Madness: (laughs loudly) What? That's MADNESS! You'll never win against me!
Nick: We'll see, won't we?
(Brian, Kevin, Howie and AJ all protest with their concerns)
Brian: Nick that's nuts! You're playing right into her hands and bringing all of us with you!
Kevin: I agree with Brian.
AJ: I'm sorry, man, better one than all.
Nick: (draws his sword high) Fine, than I will face her alone. At least one of us will stand a hero, even if I'm not left standing.
Madness: (smiles) I like this deal. (holds her hand out to Nick) Of course, we have to make it official.
Nick: (hesitates with his hand) Wait… One rule, no magic allowed.
Madness: (laughs) Fine, fine. Another rule, we fight on my ground. (steps close to Nick) If you win, you can have your precious Gabrielle, but if I win, than I can take that pretty little necklace of yours and keep Gaby for myself. Sound good?
Nick: (glances to his amulet) Yes. (looks up) Whatever it takes.
(close up on Gabrielle, a tear is rolling down her cheek. She is obviously moved by Nick's sacrafice for her freedom)
Madness: (to Nick, extending her hand) It's time to prove your worth as a warrior.
Nick: (nods) Lets do this. (extends his hand and the two connect)
Warrior girls: NO!
(A bright light floods the night and everything blurs until we see Nick slowly open his eyes. From his angle we see Madness' world, and they have been teleported to the beach where he had last lost Gabrielle. Nick gasps. A hand comes down on Nick's shoulder and he jumps before turning to face an angry Astrick)
Astrick: (shakes Nick) Are you out of your mind? Madness will pulverize you! What is it with you that you must make it a point to disobey me?
Nick: I have to save her!
Astrick: No. What you need to do is let go and walk away! You will be of no use to your world if you are dead, do you understand?
Nick: (husky growl) I won't walk away. Maybe you did, I don't know, but I'll bet ya you're feelin pretty damn guilty about it aren't ya? That's why you're tryin to stop me isn't it? Tell me why you walked away and how you hurt Madness and MAYBE with good explanation I WILL walk away. (softly) Wasn't she worth saving?
Astrick: (pulls back, referring to Gabrielle) She's beyond saving no matter what slander you use against me. (he gasps from the impact the words have on him)
Nick: (nodding) Maybe, I have no chance, but why should that stop me from trying, huh?
Astrick: (grips Nick's collar, breathing heavily) Because your life hangs in the balance.
Nick: So does Gabrielle's.
(Astrick lets go roughly)
Astrick: Madness doesn't want to kill Gabrielle…
Nick: Madness WILL kill her. Madness will kill her heart and her love and her humanity and all we'll be left with is another Madness. I can't let that happen no matter how much you disagree.
(Madness appears out of the water, dragging a bound and gagged, Gabrielle with her. She heaves the warrior into the water and steps out of it to face Nick on the beach)
Madness: (laughs maniacally and turns to face Gabrielle) Don't you worry, Gaby everything will be all right very soon. (glares at Nick) As soon as I'm rid of this nuisance.
(Gabrielle screams and tries to fight against the rope that binds her)
Madness: (to Gabrielle) The more you fight it, darlin the more it's going to hurt.
(Close up on Gabrielle's ropes glowing and becoming tighter till Gabrielle releases a scream. Cut to Nick, thrusting his sword forward)
Nick: (growls in threat) Come on! Lets see how you fight against me!
Madness: (thrusts her hand into Nick's chest to knock him into the sand) What are you doing this for? The only sacrafice your making is that of the future innocents you will never be able to save.
Nick: (reaches back to pull out a ninja star and toss it at Madness) I'm fighting for an innocent that never should've been brought into this mess.
Madness: (dodges the ninja star) That's it? Oh come on you going up against me must be for bigger reasons than that. Spill it and let me know what this is really for.
Nick: (forces himself to his feet) I'm the reason she's here. (thrusts a kick into Madness' chest throwing her back a few feet. She doesn't fall) You're the reason I can't save her. Want more of a reason?
Madness: Guilt? (gasps and looks to Gabrielle) Ya hear that, Gaby? Nick is laying down his life because of guilt.
(Nick attacks Madness thrusting punches and kicks at her, but all she does is laugh as he pummels)
Madness: You're pathetic, you know that?
Nick: Why? Because I'm doing more than Astrick did for you? Because I'm trying to save Gabrielle rather than walk away? So tell me, what happened between you two and who's Rindi?
Madness: (angrily she attacks and throws him to the ground, crushing her hand to his throat) SHUTTUP! You know nothing of it!
Nick: (gasping) Don't I? I bet it hurts being left behind, doesn't it? Is that what's bothering you, Devyn, that I care about Gabrielle enough to fight for her?
Madness: She doesn't believe that. She believes ME!
Nick: (grips Madness' wrist) Because your spell forced her to. Maybe I'm doing this because I feel guilty for bringing her into this? Maybe I'm doing this because of feelings I never knew I had, but for whatever reason I AM still doing this and she knows it's for her. (tosses Madness off him with the strength of his arms)
Madness: (glances in the direction of Gabrielle and grins) Fool. Why do you let emotions rule you…
(Nick turns to Gabrielle, and there is Astrick yanking a sword from out of Gabrielle's stomach. She collapses into the water, limp. Nick begins to choke and gasp.)
Madness: (finishes her statement with more confidence) when you're always bound to fail.
(close up on Nick's face)
Nick: (runs to Astrick shoving him hard into the water before scooping up Gabrielle) No… no… (falls to his knees with Gabrielle's body) Gabrielle… GABRIELLE!
(Everything becomes slow motion as Nick rests his head into the nook of Gabrielle's shoulder and neck. We see Nick tremble and the scene goes dark)
